Monthly Archives: October 2008

Maria Coffey and her husband Dag Goering own an outdoor adventure company called Hidden Places. Together they lead sea-kayaking expeditions around the globe. He’s a photographer and she’s an author. Maria has written a number of books, most with an outdoor theme. (In a future program we’ll feature an interview with her about her latest book) On this edition we talk to Maria about her love of the outdoors and how she came to share that passion with others.

Also on the show… remembering arctic pioneer Ralph Plaisted and thoughts on buying new running shoes and testing a little kayak in rough water. We have more comments on the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota and Gary gets a few tips on losing weight for his ongoing fitness challenge.

Podsafe music this week from David Usher and Smallfish. Send comments and outdoor stories to doingstuffoutdoors@yahoo.ca.

We go mountain climbing on this edition of DSO. Gary and a group of outdoor enthusiasts head to Baxter State Park to climb the highest mountain in Maine. Mount Katahdin stands at 5,267 feet and is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Katahdin is a popular hiking and backpacking destination and the centerpiece of the park. The most famous hike to the summit is called the Knife Edge, which traverses the ridge between Pamola Peak and Baxter Peak. Katahdin has claimed over 20 lives in the past 40 years mostly from exposure in bad weather and falls from the Knifes Edge.

Our climb to the summit takes place just before access to the mountain is restricted in mid October. Already higher elevations have seen snow and ice and during the climb, patches of snow are still visible. The group chose one of the more challenging trails to the summit that was still open because of the high winds. That day we experienced sustained winds of 60 miles-per-hour with gusts to 80 mph. So come along on the climb with Gary and the other members of his party. He also stops and talks to other climbers they meet along the trail, including some thru-hikers completing a seven month Appalachian adventure at the summit.

Podsafe music this week from Lisa Redford of the UK. We’ll also hear updates on Gary’s fitness challenge to lose weight and news about putting a new kayak through its paces. Also an email about ‘Becoming an Outdoorswoman’. Contact the show at doingstuffoutdoors@yahoo.ca

Elizabeth Underwood and Philip Nelson are a couple who run and train together. Gary met up with them this summer at a ten mile race they both competed in. They got talking after the race about they how they train together given the demands of busy schedules and shift work.

Lorne Blagdon takes us to Hot Springs, North Carolina on today’s episode of Trail Magic. He says he finds Hot Springs a weird kind of place. Something didn’t feel right about it. The problem started with a loud rooster at a campground that woke everyone up at the crack of dawn. Then Lorne discovers he has lost 30 pounds during the last month on the trail. And then it gets even weirder when he starts hearing stories about people seeing demons. That was it…they leave Hot Springs as fast as they can.

Also on the show… comments about a 5 day hike on the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota and about Jesus Rocks that make you look like you’re walking on water. We have an update on the Bruce family fall canoe trip, an interesting version of the classic poem ‘The Cremation of Sam McGee‘ and a podsafe song from Allison Crowe. Next time on DSO, climbing Maine’s Mount Katahdin.

We have a busy show on this edition of Doing Stuff Outdoors. Our feature interview is with a family that enjoys spending time together in the outdoors. Every year Tom Bruce and his four kids ranging in age from about 16 to 31, go on a wilderness canoe trip together. It’s just Dad, Alex, Eric, Adrienne and Ian. Mom stays home. They all look forward to it every year. Gary met up with three of the Bruce clan, who also happen to be his relatives, and they talk about their annual escape to the outdoors.

Gary updates us on the visit by Hurricane Kyle and his fitness challenge to lose weight by Christmas. Enjoy some podsafe music by The Manatee Man and Adam from Oregon shares a tale of instant camouflage. James Kehoe of Arizona comments on the high price of gas and shares his honeymoon video with us. (no not that, a video of outdoor adventures) Ken Knight, a legally blind backpacker, kayaker and snowshoer tells us about his new podcast The Wandering Knight and about his participation in the 29th Great Outdoors Challenge in Scotland. And finally Anthony of Anthony’s Audio Journal checks in with some comments and photos of a recent hike to Goat Canyon Trestle, one of the highest and longest, curved, wooden train trestles in the world. And somehow millionaire adventurer, the late Steve Fossett comes up in the discussion.

We have a different sort of outdoor adventure on today’s show. It’s a combination of historical treasure hunt, geocaching and good old fashioned hiking. Gary joins four model railroad and train enthusiasts, Lou McIntyre, Mike Gerrits, Lawrence van der Meer and Bob Henry as they follow the route of an old, abandoned rail line. The Hampton and St. Martins Railroad operated from 1876 to 1940 in southern New Brunswick. Most of the old rail bed still exists and following it turns into an all day adventure.

Also on the show… some comments about 69 year old runner Frank Kelly we featured on DSO-65 and podsafe music from Dave Potts.